In 1967, Disney struck an unprecedented deal with the state of Florida. Having just bought a 25,000-acre property for Disney World, a first-of-its-kind resort complex set to bring the state untold tourism and revenue, Disney was granted the right to operate autonomously within its very own district, allowing the company to pay itself taxes and provide its own municipal services. For decades, this compromise proved a boon to both Disney and the Sunshine State. But now, with the company fighting to repeal one of Florida's chief legislative showpieces, state Republicans are attempting to completely strip Disney of its special status, prompting intense concerns about the move's potentially devastating impact on millions of Floridians.
Disney's clash with the Florida GOP was triggered last month when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed what's been colloquially dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill (H.B. 1775), a Republican-backed measure that outlaws the discussion of LGBTQ+ subjects in public school classrooms. Days after the bill was rubber-stamped, Disney, facing a clarion call to take a stand against the measure, announced that it would work with lawmakers to repeal it.
